Anke Preuss On Learning Things The English Way

Liverpool Women’s new number one faced a big challenge coming from Germany to Merseyside.

Among the many departures this summer for Liverpool Women was starting shot stopper Siobhan Chamberlain, who had been a mainstay of the Red Women for a number of years. The loss was pretty acute because let’s be real, Chamberlain is great. It didn’t take long for a replacement to be found, though, in Anke Preuss.

Liverpool signed Preuss from Sunderland back in July but the keeper spent most of her time playing in her homeland of Germany before joining the Black Cats in 2016. Sure she’s been in England for a minute, but moving to Merseyside has presented a whole other set of challenges – but not one she can’t get through without help.

“There is a lot of history in Liverpool too and I think the people in the city are just really friendly. That’s something in general I have encountered since coming to England.

“People are just really open and willing to help whenever it seems like you are struggling and that’s actually a really nice feeling because it helps you to settle in really fast.”

Anyone that has visited Liverpool recently can attest to their friendliness and kindness, so it seems the perfect place for a woman like Anke to make her mark. Especially considering the differences between the German league and the FA WSL aren’t that many, she’s found it easier to adjust.

“I think the WSL is quite similar to the league in Germany, although maybe the style of football is a bit different,” Preuss continued.

“Most of the teams are usually trying to go forwards for goal whereas in Germany it’s more focused on having possession of the ball and you’re almost waiting a little bit until the opponent gives you the space and then you try to score whereas here it’s more forward, forward, forward! It sometimes looks a bit rushed but I don’t think that is a bad thing, it’s just different.

“People would probably say the game in Germany is sometimes slower-paced because you keep it in the back line and wait for the opponent to move and offer you a space. That’s probably the only difference.”

Preuss also spent some time playing for Verona Calcio in the Italian league before she joined Sunderland, which she was pretty open about their differences being a bit more prominent.

“I have also played in Italy with Verona and that was just a great experience to go abroad and see something different. I don’t think you can really compare it to the leagues in Germany or England as it is a different level here,” said Preuss.

“The top clubs in Italy can compare with the WSL teams in England and the Frauen Bundesliga in Germany but the level of the other teams is just not where they should be.”

A keeper with her experience and knowledge definitely shouldn’t be underestimated and Liverpool Women are lucky to have scooped her up in this vital period of transition for the squad. Her confidence during matches has already made a shaky time feel a bit more stable, despite the losses the squad have dealt with so far.